Communication Skills Instructors

Heather Goodwin

Heather Goodwin is a Toronto based creative and expressive arts therapist. She is also a voice-over artist, an actor, a web designer and a photographer. As an actor, she has performed across stages in Ontario. She also works as a descriptive video artist narrating a wide variety of film and television for the blind. Heather is a graduate of the CREATE Institute’s Expressive Arts Therapy training program, a Master’s candidate at the European Graduate School and additionally, holds an Honours BA from the University of Toronto.

In Heather’s arts therapy practice, she has worked with both individually and in groups with a wide variety of clients. Some of the populations she has worked with include prisoners, seniors, adults living with life changing diagnoses, caregivers, children struggling in social and/or classroom situations, and youth who are questioning their gender and/or sexuality.

“The most important quality of the facilitator was that she was able to create an atmosphere and working environment where everybody felt invited and accepted with no prejudice and therefore we were highly motivated to participate in the workshop. Even the people that have no connection to art at all.”

“As a teacher, I can say that it takes a lot of creativity to motivate people who have less interest/knowledge/talent/skills in the topic. I was impressed with the immediate problem solving solution that facilitator have discovered during the workshop without any previous notice. Credits for creativity in problem solving as well!”

Jeremy Hutton

Jeremy Hutton was the founding artistic director of the Toronto Youth Theatre and the artistic director of Hart House Theatre. He is a director, actor, composer, lyricist, fight-director and sound designer based in Toronto.

Recent directing credits include, Cabaret, Spamalot and The Sound of Music (Lower Ossington Theatre), and The Tempest, Night of the Iguana, Macbeth and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (Hart House Theatre).

Recent acting credits include Pontius Pilate in Jesus Christ Superstar (Hart House Theatre), Claudius in Hamlet and Feste in Twelfth Night (Classical Theatre Project) and Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing (SBTS Halifax).

Jeremy has written four musicals with Kieren MacMillan including the 2010 best of fringe hit Fairytale Ending. Others include Tobor the Robot, and the ever-popular Robin Hood the Legendary Musical Comedy. He’s written several others without Kieren including The Fourth Princess (Lower Ossington Theatre), Alice in Wonderland (SBTS Halifax) and Snow White for which he won two Theatre Nova Scotia Merritt awards for original composition and musical direction.

Jeremy teaches Public Speaking

Students say,

“I’m very impressed with the public speaking class… it seems to me you have x-ray vision in terms of spotting right away tension and stuck breath (in my case)… it’s SO true! Thank you for saying it…Happy to say the new skills i’m learning are full force! I just got off a teleconference with a client where I had to discuss / defend a document I wrote… i found myself using many of the skills that were coming easily to mind in the moment… breathing, being myself is compelling and even found myself saying “forgive me” in a ‘command’ and it works!! Boss even sent an congratulatory email that it went so well! It’s working! THANK YOU”

Bari Knopf

Bari Knopf is a visual artist and graduate of the Tamalpa Institute (a movement based expressive arts training program). She is also a Masters candidate in Expressive Arts Therapy and Psychology at the European Graduate School. Bari has led movement based expressive arts groups for both children and adults including individuals with trauma and those experiencing bereavement due to the loss of a loved one.

Bari teaches Embodied Creativity and Discovery

Peter Limberg

Peter Limberg is an entrepreneur living in Toronto. He is the co-founder of Stoicism Toronto and founder of Intellectual Explorers Club (IEC).

Kevin McCormick

Kevin McCormick is one of the most sought after acting instructors in Toronto, having worked with thousands of artists over the years and is currently the Director of the acclaimed Equity Showcase Theatre. Kevin also teaches regularly for Equity Showcase Theatre, The Actors Tutorial and co-ordinates and teaches within a unique arts program at the G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education at Ryerson University. Other teaching highlights include York University, The Ryerson Theatre School, The Canadian College of Dance, The National Ballet of Canada, Young Peoples Theatre, The George Randolph Studio Dance Theatre, Leah Posluns Theatre School, and The University of New Brunswick. Mr. McCormick has produced and directed a variety of productions and has held the position of Artistic Director for two Ontario Summer Theatres. He is a founding member of the Toronto Association of Acting Studios where he has also served as President.

“[The course was] an interesting starting point into more self-exploration, self-expression, and listening to others.”

Laura Jane (LJ) Nelles

Laura Jayne (LJ) Nelles has been professional actor and director for many years and holds an MFA in acting and directing. She studied voice with master teacher David Smukler and works as a voice teacher and coach in a variety of settings. Her PhD research focuses on embodied practice in theatre and health. LJ is currently on faculty at The Randolph Academy for the Performing Arts and has taught acting and various forms of theatre at York University, The University of Guelph-Humber and as a guest artist at the Toronto Board of Education. She loves to make theatre and is particularly drawn to the transformative powers of theatre.

LJ teaches Voice and Speech: An Introduction and Clarity of Speech

Students say,

“This class has made me more ware of myself and this will help me improve in different areas, both academic & personal”

“I learned specific ways that I was limiting the volume and quality of my voice.””

“Amazing at building confidence & connections with the voice.”

“Engages with each student to focus on particular concerns. No judgement, positive, warm disposition.”

“The voice exercises are a great help whenever I speak, especially when doing public speaking.”

Cathy Sobocan

Cathy brings over twenty years of radio and television broadcasting, theatre and teaching experience to her work as a voice and public speaking coach. She has graduate degrees in broadcast journalism and voice & speech teaching. She’s trained in the theatre department of York University, the Stratford Festival, Second City, etc. Her clients include senior executives, Olympic athletes, university educators, media personalities, actors, keynote speakers, and people who just want to be more confident at communicating. She facilitates many corporate workshops and teaches presentation skills courses at Humber College. She’s the voice and performance coach of the TEDxToronto conference. She also served as voice and performance coach for TEDxDistilleryWomen. www.raiseyourvoicecoaching.com

Ausar Stewart

Ausar is an accomplished arts educator and one of Canada’s leading voice, speech and
communications coaches. He has taught at York University, Redeemer University College,
Randolph College for the Performing Arts, Centennial College, The Toronto Film School, and coached at Stratford Festival’s Birmingham Conservatory for Classical Theatre.
Ausar has an MFA in Theatre and Post Graduate Diploma in Voice, Speech and Dialect
Coaching . He is also a certified yoga instructor with training in Hatha Yoga in the
Sivananda tradition, Advanced Teaching from Octopus Garden, and Kemetic Yoga, an
ancient Egyptian system of yoga. His interest in Somatic Work also lead to completing level 2 Reiki training.

Drawing from his wide-ranging training, Ausar integrates core performance principles with yoga, energetics and voice coaching modalities to create transformative and liberating experiences. As the owner of Free Your Voice he works with private and corporate clients to help them develop confidence, power and impact so that they can speak, inspire and lead. To learn more about Ausar visit: www.freeingourvoice.ca